There is an appealing history to the Cambodia gambling dens that lie just over the dividing line from nearby Thailand, where gambling hall wagering is against the law. Eight casinos are anchored in a relatively small space in the municipality of Poipet in Cambodia. This conclave of Cambodia casinos is in a prime location, a three to four hour drive from Bangkok and Macao, the two biggest wagering centers in Asia. Cambodia gambling halls do a thriving business with Thai workers and visitors from Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, with only very few Westerners. The astonishing income gained from the gambling halls ranges from seven and a half million dollars to more than 12.5 million, and there are a number of restrictions constraints for gambling hall ownership. Ownership is assumed to be mostly Thai; although, financial sources are cryptic. The borders are formally open from 09:00 to 5:00 p.m., and despite the fact visas are for all intents and purposes required to cross, there are methods around this, as is true of most borders.

The 1st Cambodia gambling dens opened in Phnom Penh in 1994, but were forced to close in 1998, leaving only one gambling hall in the capital, the Naga Resort. The Naga, a moored boat gambling den, features one hundred and fifty one armed bandits and sixty tables. The Naga casino is open all day and night with 42 tables of mini-baccarat banque, four tables of chemin de fer, 10 of roulette, two of Caribbean Stud Poker, and a single table each of Pai-Gow and Tai-Sai.

The 1st gambling hall in Poipet, the Holiday Palace, opened in the late nineties and the Golden Crown soon followed. There are one hundred and fifty slots and five table games at the Golden Crown and one hundred and four slot machines and 68 tables at the Holiday Palace. The newer Holiday Palace Casino and Resort contains 300 slot machines and 70 gaming tables and the Princess Hotel and Casino, also in Poipet, has one hundred and sixty six slot machines and 96 table games, including 87 baccarat banque (the most popular game), Fan Tan, and Pai Gow. Also, there is the Casino Tropicana, with one hundred and thirty five slot machines and 66 of the common gaming tables, as well as one table of Casino Stud Poker. Another one of the 8 gambling dens in Poipet, again a part of a motel, is the Princess Casino with 166 one armed bandits and 97 casino games. The Star Vegas Casino is is located in an all-around vacation and hotel complex that contains many comforts on top of the gambling hall, which houses ten thousand square feet of one hundred and thirty slots and eighty eight table games.